Project Buying a Crapi - 2020 Update!, Still slowly bleeding me dry

[Bren]

Now worth funfty times what you paid for it. Use the old bonnet as a white background?

[Essex V6]

I would like a Manta as well as the Capri, they are fetching good money though.

I am in the very fortunate position to have both. Had Capris for over 25 years. Bought the Manta about 4 years ago (albeit probably only been on the road for about a year in all that time!).

 

Reckon Manta handles better but Capri sounds better (it is a 3.0 mind).

[Essex V6]

You can’t beat a late 87/88 Manta GTE in white, I think toward the end they were all saloons. You forget how popular these were back in the day, can remember my mums hairdresser having a white Manta berlinetta.

[Essex V6]

[Essex V6]

I'll be interested to see how this purchase turns out.  Good luck!

 

On the subject of Mantas, I think both bodystyles stayed in production until the end.  This is from an October 1987 brochure:

Vauxhall Opel range Oct 1987 012-013 Manta.jpg

Yes they produced both until the end with the final on being badged as Exclusives. Recognisable by the twin headlights

[Essex V6]

The trip home from stoke was long but totally un eventful. apart from some streches of stop start traffic on the M40 and M25. I'd like the temperature gauge remained quite steady even in the traffic, mainly because it too wasnt really working. Possibly combined with the dodgy petrol gauge there could be a faulty voltage stabiliser to blame.

 

The trip home revealed that an indicated 100mph is more than possible but when verified with the sat nave we found the speedo overread quite a bit! 

 

I did shoot some video footage Its not that exciting but can be seen here:

 

https://youtu.be/_0BbRHhEZF8

 

 

I reckon the issue will be related. The fuel gauge and temp gauge on mine have never worked properly

 

All told the Capri perfomed suprisingly well, no recovery trucks required, nothing fell off or terminally broke. Hopefully Dave will stick up a post sharing his post trip thoughts.

 

Cheers for reading.

 

Joe

[anonymous user]

Great to see a Capri doing stuff, it's a really long time since I've driven one (and even longer since I spun it on the M4 late one night)

[coalnotdole]

Well predictably the whole "spend the minimum and just use it" plan has gone to sh*t almost immediately!

 

Money was spent on centre caps and correct nuts for the four spoke wheels:

 

 

 

After the peak district trip I removed the dash in order to get the non functioning heater out,

At the same time I sorted out some lash up wiring and fitted a replacement electric aerial wired as per factory.

 

I then realised my mint replacement dash was black rather than grey and given the rareness of undamaged ones ended up spraying it in vinylcote which came out pretty well.

 

Sorted out a non functioning ammeter and replaced a lot of missing trim clips while it was all apart.

Fan motor turned out to have seized and melted one of the brush holders - I managed to unstable the motor body and get the bearing out and freed up and its back together and working now but only has a few mm of brush left on the damaged holder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to pick up a 2ltr rocker cover from eBay with the correct captive nuts for the weber air filter but its a narrow rim cover rather than the wider type so I drilled them off and have mig'ed them to my existing rocker cover:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also fitted a new sunroof seal from the capri club which turns out to be a different construction to original (flocked rubber as opposed to velvet fabric on a silicone core) and a bit crap for the £40 it cost - Apparently the £80 seal from a mk2 golf is actually the correct type and still available from the OE supplier to ford, in hindsight I should have gone for that instead.

 

I have popped out the headlining carrier while there and am waiting for our cover maker to stitch up a new panel to fit to it:

 

 

 

Next post is where it really starts to get out of control...

 

Dave

[coalnotdole]

The car has always seemed very low at the back - in fact the MOT man made comment on the springs looking very decambered.

With a full tank its sat about 1/2" off the bump stops and with a passenger in the car the stops are just touching.

 

Its low: (note matching rear lights!)

 

 

 

Everyone I spoke to about springs said to get a set of single leaves from a 2.8 as un "upgrade" but this view seems to have pushed eBay prices up to over £100 for a used pair of 30 year old springs which I'd still need to get different u-bolt clamps and rubbers to attach to my multi leaf axle.

 

So I shelled out £250 for a set of new multi leaf springs from Kilen (quality british made springs were available but were more than twice the price) They seem to look ok although are lacking the nylon wear plates of the originals:

 

 

 

First problem was getting out the NS front hanger bolt as the hanger had been overplated in the process covering up both access holes so I had to crack out the hole saw:

 

 

 

After waiting for the water to stop pouring out i managed to dig out enough foamex to get a socket on and get the bolt out, all the other fixings came undone with the exception of the U-bolts which all snapped even with heat.

 

With both springs of it became apparent why it sat so low, almost all the leaves of both springs are cracked and so much rust has blown them apart that somebody has rewelded the straps around the springs to hold them together

 

 

 

Now this is the point where I should have just bolted the new springs in place and driven off,

but I had to have a poke at that overplating...

 

 

 

With a lot of seam sealer and underseal removed:

 

 

 

Looking forward from the wheel arch with the spring hanger on the right:

 

 

 

There were also a couple of scabby bits on the NS front floorpan which had been coved in body filler and underseal:

 

 

 

 

So I decided I'd order some handmade replacement spring hanger panels from a bloke in france and do a proper job of it...

 

 

Plate off:

 

 

Foamex out of the void which the sunroof drain also ends up in:

 

 

Rear corner of floorpan:

 

 

Beneath the rear seat:

 

 

Front floorpan/bulkhead joint:

 

 

Inner sill:

 

 

Test fitting new sections:

 

 

 

 

 

Thats about where it is now - I'm waiting to get some zintec to start welding up the floor and front lower edge of the inner wheel arch before putting the new plates in around the spring hanger.

Then my intention is to stick the springs back on and drop it back onto its wheels and probably rip the wing and outer sill off so I can repair the inner sill.

I've ordered a pair of full outer sills along with lower A post repair sections and a N/S front chassis skid section as thats also been badly plated over in the past and if i'm going to repair the floor above it and replace the outrigger I'd rather do a proper job...

 

Have ordered a load of new tips for .6 wire and upgraded my old black and decker powerfile to a fancy makita one which should hopefully make weld finishing easier.

 

I'm wanting to achieve invisible repairs with a factory fresh look - I do expect to possibly lower my expectations once I start though...

 

Dave

[Eyersey1234]

This thread is making me want a Capri now

[Mally]

This thread is making me glad I haven't got one,

[cort16]

Good stuff got getting stuck right in. It's unfortunately a normal part of old Ford ownership.

[plasticvandan]

This thread is a perfect example of why a GTE is better than a Crapi in every way

[Guest Hooli]

I still want a Capri but I can't weld & haven't won the lottery so I'll enjoy it from a bystanders point of view.

[DeeJay]

The good thing about doing all this work on a Ford is it will be worth a fortune when it's finished.

Consider it an investment.

[Tamworthbay]

Yup, you won’t lose on it by doing a good job.

[danthecapriman]

You shouldn’t have poked it!

 

Seriously though, your plan sounds good. Don’t piss about leaving things, ignoring things or doing it half arsed. Sadly that stuff is about normal for an unrestored Capri after this long.

Make sure you get everything painted and/or filled with cavity wax as you go too, keep the rot at bay.

 

If you need any pics of how things should look or even want to have a look yourself at a car in as new body condition your welcome to have a look at mine. It does help sometimes to have a look at how one should look if your having to get rid of other peoples bodge jobs and rusted deformed mess! Sometimes other people’s ‘handy work’ doesn’t even remotely look like it should do!

[mat_the_cat]

want to have a look yourself at a car in as new body condition your welcome to have a look at mine

 

Show off!

(I'd say the same, mind...)

[danthecapriman]

Show off!

(I'd say the same, mind...)

Didn’t mean it like that!

I’m not far from the op’s one, just a quick ferry trip away... infact I might be over on the island one day next week for work.

[fordperv]

Your brave jacking it up on the sill lip, also one of my pet hates people doing that,

 

Stereotypical capri rot spots, fire the mig up

[coalnotdole]

Your brave jacking it up on the sill lip, also one of my pet hates people doing that,

 

Stereotypical capri rot spots, fire the mig up

The jacks actually only there loosely for peace of mind whilst I was hammering at spot welds underneath - the weight is all on axle stands under the chassis members!

 

Also one of my pet hates, the sills on my suzuki carry had rotted out as the drain holes are either end and the sills hang down below the chassis - whenever someone puts one on a two post lift unless they use spacers the arms crush the sills upwards and make a massive water trap as they no longer drain!

 

Was a load of grief to take the outer sills off and straighten out the inner sills...

[DodgeRover]

I'm just adamant that people don't jack anything of mine under the cills under any circumstances, people just have no concept of older vehicles..

[mercrocker]

I hate taking old stuff anywhere but my MOT place......Had the tracking done on the Cowley last month and the bloke insisted I left it running in case it "Didn't Start" on his ramp after he had finished.    Fair enough, mate, but you wouldn't have burnt your arm on the down-pipe if I had switched it off.....     

 

Anyway, good work on the Capri - as an avid "poker" I can sympathise with your findings.   Even if I resist poking one day I will be out there the next.....

[bolognasal spray]

My ex-girlfriend had a 1.6 Capri - it would've been an early / mid '80s one. It was blue - a bit like the earlier Miami blue used on the mid '70s mkII Escort. Not a dark blue, but a definite blue - w/ some flake in it. I used to drive it all the time - it was a total work out when it came to parking. Keep fit city. I used to have to have a little rest and a fag afterwards. We went camping in Edale once, and on the second night it absolutely chucked it down and we had to abandon tent and take refuge in the Capri.

[tooSavvy]

Re FORD alloy wheel nuts (stainless cap)

 

If yours are the same as Focus/Ka alloys... I got 16minters for £5 at my local breakers

[tooSavvy]

Your brave jacking it up on the sill lip, also one of my pet hates people doing that

.... My ATS use the rubber pads on the 'spider lift' when doing tyres for me. '91 ToMM doesn't even wheeze at the sill edge

 

I did worry...... 1st time

[fordperv]

.... My ATS use the rubber pads on the 'spider lift' when doing tyres for me.

 

The bastards need slapping around the back of the head for it then

[coalnotdole]

Well I'm now in possession of two 8'X4' sheets of zintec steel in 1.2mm and 1.5mm thicknesses which I'm rather hoping should be more material than I need!

 

Had a crack at one of the simplest repairs this morning where the floor has rotted out around the passenger side seat mount. Unfortunately as the car is outside the sporadic torrential rain and gale force winds didn't really help.

 

After being electrocuted for the second time trying to drag the mig welder, gas bottle and extension lead back inside in a hailstorm I kind of lost interest and vowed to come back to it on a dryer and less windy day!

 

 

 

The first cut:

 

 

 

 

Previous repair appears to have involved body filler and tinfoil:

 

 

 

 

Underside:

 

 

 

 

Floor panel:

 

 

 

 

Doubler plate:

 

 

 

 

Captive nut fitting which I will reuse when I repair or replace the doubler:

 

 

 

 

New metal:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gives an idea of just how wet and hopeless the weather was!:

 

 

 

 

Underside, penetration seems ok. will probably be a few bits that want another blat of weld from this side though:

 

 

 

 

 

Topside quickly dressed off with the power file:

 

 

 

And thats it for the moment, feel that with some better weather I'm probably capable of doing the repairs to a standard I'm happy with. Which is a relief as I'd worried it might just end up a horrible mess covered in more underseal and tinfoil!

 

Thanks for reading / commenting

Dave

[Tamworthbay]

I still want a Capri but I can't weld & haven't won the lottery so I'll enjoy it from a bystanders point of view.

Welding to a decent standard is a piece of piss. Not the tig welded gorgeousness you see on jap bike frames but decent structural welding can be taught in no time at all. I have taught loads of folk, two to three hours is easily enough for someone vaguely practical to get the basics. Then it’s just a matter of logic to unpick what needs to go where. Making repair panels is just basic metalwork with a bit of lateral thinking if you need an odd shape. I made the circular dips seen above for the rear spring front mount by hammering sheet metal into the end of a piece of metal tube then drilling the centre out. It’s a very satisfy process.

[danthecapriman]

Nice job, especially given the wank weathers best efforts against you.

 

 

 

I really really wish I had your enthusiasm! Must be a good three months or so since I did anything on mine.